INTERVIEW: High Pop

1)      What do you want people to hear most when they hear your music?

: I want them to feel something, anything.

2)      Having music on Band Camp, along with other such platforms in music right now such as Sound Cloud, Spotify and others, do you feel that music is moving into a virtual age?  Personally, I fully support the idea of downloading songs for free from Band Camp and then if I like them buying them on vinyl.

: The Internet has been annoying the hell out of me recently.  I stopped going on the computer for a while- like I would only snapchat friends.  But the world and everything in it is becoming more virtual.  There's not a lot we can do about that so might as well ride it out best yuh can.

3)      How important of a factor do you feel that record labels play in music these days when pretty much anyone can put their music on the internet as opposed to having to hand out demo tapes at shows, the distribution record labels can offer, etc.   It just seems like it’s a bit easier these days to succeed as a band- and even build up a strong fan base- before a label possibly comes calling for you.

: The thing is though, there is just so much floating around with the advent of being able to do it all yourself that it's hard to ever get through to anyone.  So I feel that labels can be good in the way they pick through all the millions of things and start to make things flow a little easier.  I don't know for sure though.  You can be a star in your hometown but outside of that, people don't fall in love so easily.

4)      If you could tour with any single band or musician who would you pick and why?

: I've only toured with really good friends of mine so far (The Guru and Lvl Up) and it doesn't get much better than that.  But touring and being buddies with Ariel Pink or Christopher Owens would be rad and probably a really odd and special experience.  But I wouldn't just want to open for them- I'd want to actually hang with them- like get tacos at 2 or 3 in the morning and go swimming in pools or crash hotels- just do what they do for fun.

I legitimately really look up those artists.  I wouldn't want to just be their fanboy, I'd want to be their friend.  I think I have a lot to offer and so do they.

5)      Who is your favorite New Kid on the Block?

: Umm, I really like The Ferns.  They're a few years younger and live close by my home and they have something special going on.  I somehow got the leaks to their new stuff and really dig.  Looking forward to seeing them blossom in the next few years.  I've even being talking with my buddy and roommate, Eddie Golden III, to possibly produce them and put them out on our label, Seagreen Records.

6)      Who would win in a musical fight: Jack Black or Jack White?

: Musical fight? Probably Jack White because he's kind of a musical god who has successfully managed to break into mainstream and still be decent.  He was probably my first real relationship with garage.  I was in a band with this kid I really looked up to, and we covered mostly White Stripes.  

But oddly enough, Jack Black is the reason why I play music so I should root for him.